Amiata area

To learn more about the attractions and services offered, click on the name of each municipality listed.

ARCIDOSSO (GR) – medieval village

Castles: Rocca aldobrancesca
Churches: Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie, Tempio Gompa di Merigar West
Monumens: Tower Gurisdavidica
Museums: Centro di Studi David Lazzaretti
Natural Reserves: Monte Amiata, Riserva Poggio dell’Olmo
Parks and Gardens: Parco Faunistico del Monte Amiata
itineraries: Strada del Vino di Montecucco
Localities: Bagnoli, Montelaterone, San Lorenzo
Products and handicraft : chestnut
Sports:Trekking, Cycling, Paragliding

The town is, historically, one of the most important centers situated around the Monte Amiata, on whose slopes it lies. The urban architecture is a sort of semicircle pyramid that culminates with the Aldobrandesca fortress, a 10th century castle.

CASTELL’AZZARA (GR) – mountain village

Castles: Rocca di Castell’Azzara
Palaces: Villa Sforzesca
Museumsi: Gallerie Minerarie del Cornacchino, Miniere di Cinabro, Grotta di Sassocolato
Natural Reserves: Monte Amiata, Riserva naturale di Monte Penna
Events: Palio di Selvena
Products and handicraft : olive oil, chestnut, wood
Sports: Trekking, Cycling

It is the highest town of all. The historic center is characterized by steep and winding streets. The village is part of the Amiata Mining Museum National Park due to the presence of mines in the areas of Cornacchino and Morone-Selvena from which cinnabar (mercury mineral) was extracted.

CASTEL DEL PIANO (GR) – mountain village

Chiurchesese: Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie
Museums: Museo Civico del Palazzo Nerucci, Museo della Vite e del Vino Monteregio d’Orcia
Natural Reserves: Monte Amiata
Itineraries: Strada del Vino di Montecucco
Localities: Montenero d’Orcia, Montegiovi
Products and handicraft :wine, olive oil, chestnut
Sports: Trekking, Cycling, Skiing, Winter Sports

The town is situated in an excellent natural position. The municipal area extends between the flat area of the Grosseto Val d’Orcia and much of the wooded Monte Amiata. The vineyards and olive groves give an excellent product. The chestnut groves of the mountain area produce different varieties of chestnuts, all marked with the IGP.

 ROCCALBEGNA (GR) – hillside village

Castles: Castello di Triana
Curches: Chiesa dei Santi Pietro e Paolo
Museums: Museo della Focarazza
Natural Reserves: Riserva naturale Monte Amiata, Riserva Rocconi
Localities: Triana
Products and handicraft : chestnut
Sports: trekking, cycling

The village is located in the high valley of the Albegna river, at the foot of two steep and picturesque cliffs, on each of which stands a fortification, the Rocca aldobrandesca and the Cassero Senese. From this particular orography derives the popular saying “if the Sasso scrocca, farewell la Rocca”. The village is a maze of streets and alleys overlooked by small buildings, including an important Romanesque church.

SANTA FIORA (GR) – hillside village

Churches: Pieve delle Santa Flora e Lucilla, Convento della Santissima Trinità
Monumenti: La Peschiera
Museums: Museo delle Miniere di Mercurio del Monte Amiata
Itineraries: Parco-Museo delle Acque, Alta Valle del Fiora
Events: Festa delle Croci, La Fiaccolata, Palio dei Somari
Localities: Bagnolo, Bagnore, Selva
Products and handicraft : chestnut
Sports: trekking, cycling, horse riding

The morphology of the village is unusual, characterized by raised points and degrading areas. The history of the area is closely linked to the cinnabar mining activity. Many and significant religious and civil monuments, also linked to the importance that Santa Fiora had in historical times. Outside the built-up area a large green area and the nearby slopes of Mount Amiata make up a remarkable landscape panorama.

SEGGIANO(GR) – agricultural village 

Castles: Castello di Potentino
Churches: Santuario della Madonna della Carità
Natural Reserves: Riserva Monte Amiata
Parks anda Gardens: Giardino d’Arte Daniel Spoerri
Itineraries: Strada del Vino di Montecucco
Products and handicraft : chestnut, DOP olive oil, Montecucco DOC wine, pecorino cheese
Sporst: Skiing, hiking, cycling

The town, located on a hill surrounded by olive and chestnut groves, has maintained its medieval appearance and preserved its rural origins. There are still three doors and most of them from the walls of the 10th century. In the area there are small villages inserted in a wooded landscape where there are also old farmhouses, some of which turned into comfortable farmhouses. To mention Pescina, whose main attraction is the restaurants where you can taste the local culinary specialties. There are many trails for hiking and trekking.

ABBADIA DI SAN SALVATORE  (SI) –medieval village

Churches: Abbazia di San Salvatore
Museums: Museo dell’Abbazia di San Salvatore, Museo della Miniera di Cinabro
Natural Reserves: Monte Amiata
Itineraies: Treno Natura
Events: Fiaccole di Natale, Offerta dei Censi
Sports: hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, skiing

The medieval town still retains the closed and collected character of the so-called “walled land”. In the immediate vicinity of the historic center is the imposing Abbey of San Salvatore. From the town, all surrounded by lush chestnut woods, originate various routes for hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. In the municipal area, which extends to the summit of Mount Amiata, there is also a medium-sized skiable area. The village is part of the Amiata Mining Museum National Park due to the presence of an area from which cinnabar (mercury mineral) was extracted.

PIANCASTAGNAIO (SI) – rural village

Castles: Rocca di Piancastagnaio
Churches: Santuario della Madonna di San Pietro
Museums: Miniera di Siele
Natural Reserves: Monte Amiata, Riserva del Pigelleto
Events: Sagra del Ventricino
Products and handicraft : chestnut
Itineraries: Treno Natura
Sports: hiking, mountain biking, horse riding

The old town, circular in shape, is fan-shaped and is intersected by medieval alleys. Here and there are churches and fountains. From the town there are various paths that allow you to make excursions to Mount Amiata and the Natural Reserve of Pigelleto. Piancastagnaio is part of the Amiata National Mining Museum because in its territory, cinnabar (mercury mineral) was extracted.

The original Piancastagnaio castle, dating back to 1208, had defense and surveillance duties over the Paglia river valley. The small village, built on a rocky peak, was transformed into a quadrangular fortress with a higher tower that served as a lookout and an extreme point of defense. In 1345 the militias of Siena demolished the fortifications and occupied the castle. In 1415 Sienese military technicians began a work of consolidation of the fortress, followed by a further restoration, completed a few decades later. However, the most extensive intervention, which gave the building its current appearance, took place between 1471 and 1478. In 1601, about half a century after the end of Siena’s independence, the fortress was transformed into a prison by the Marquis Bourbon del Monte. In the XVIIIth century the fort lost its original function and was used for increasingly marginal roles. In the twentieth century restoration work was carried out which allowed the original appearance of the building to be recovered. It is currently open to visitors and some exhibition spaces have been created inside.

Area: Amiata 
Type: fortress 14th century
Address: Vicolo del Giardino
Phone: + 39 0577 786024

Indiana Park is an adventure park for the whole family, from 5-year-olds to adults looking for excitement. Located at 1,400 meters above sea level and on a large green area, the park is overlooking the summit of Monte Amiata and is surrounded by the largest beech forest in Italy. It consists of a set of acrobatic routes, for different age levels and various types of difficulties. The routes are suspended at different heights from the ground, installed on tall trees or, in some cases, even on wooden poles. The routes were made by installing steel cables, wooden platforms and ropes, with absolute respect for the plants and their habitat. It is therefore possible to play recreational and sports activities that the user, previously instructed and equipped with a safety device, performs in complete autonomy, putting his balance, speed, ability to overcome obstacles, the desire for adventure to the test. Children, young people and adults can try their hand on Tibetan bridges, woodsmen, Tyrolean, swinging trunks and much more to rediscover a bit of adventure spirit.

Area: Monte Amiata
Type: adventure park – arborism
Address: Località Prato delle Macinaie – Castel del Piano (GR)
Phone: +39 334 3432044 / +39 338 7992525
Website: www.amiata.indianapark.it

Monte Amiata (1,738 meters above sea level) consists of a remarkable variety of environments and landscapes. In fact it is an ancient volcano that does not have the classic cone shape, but appears as the union of various peaks. It is also the culmination of an articulated mountain massif including Monte Labbro, Monte Buceto, Monte Civitella and Poggio Zoccolino. The main waterways are the Fiora, which is born near the town of Santa Fiora, the Albegna, which is born on the eastern side of Monte Labbro, the Paglia and the Orcia.

An imposing iron cross, placed on top at the beginning of the 20th century, has become the symbol of the mountain. The entire summit of the Amiata is a protected area for resting migratory birds. Other protected areas are the Wildlife Park of Monte Amiata, where typical animals such as fallow deer, mouflon, donkeys and Apennine wolves live, and six nature reserves (Monte Labbro, Monte Penna, Pescinello, Poggio all’Olmo, Rocconi, SS. Trinità). The whole mountain is covered with lush beech woods, full of rocks with unusual shapes and abundant and fresh springs.

Monte Amiata has remained a territory with its own historical characteristics for millennia. Stilts, graffiti, prehistoric areas, Roman ruins, medieval fortifications, Renaissance palaces are present in various locations, to witness the various historical phases. It was a frontier land since the 7th century AD, with the consolidation of the division between Tuscia Longobardorum and Tuscia Romanorum. A transit area, it was lapped on the eastern side by the Via Francigena (or Romea), which was consolidated in the Lombard period as an alternative to the Roman Via Cassia, which is no longer accessible in part. Administratively, Monte Amiata is divided between some municipalities, eight belonging to the province of Grosseto and four to that of Siena. In the so-called “chestnut belt”, in particular in the municipalities of Arcidosso, Castel del Piano and Seggiano, numerous squeegees are visible, some of which are very well preserved, evidence of the past practice of drying chestnuts. Of particular interest are the various museum complexes, as well as the “wine roads” and the many nature reserves.

The Amiata is crossed by a network of marked and equipped trails for trekking and mountain bike excursions. The routes unite all the most important inhabited centers, the mountain and also the great paths of the paths in southern Tuscany. One of these paths, 28 kilometers long, revolves around the mountain at altitudes between 1,050 and 1,300 meters, among lush beech and chestnut woods.

Area: Amiata
Type: natural reserve
Municipalities: Arcidosso, Castell’Azzarra, Castel del Piano, Roccalbegna, Santa Fiora, Seggiano, Semproniano, Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio
Phone: +39 0577 770317 / +39 0577 778324

The Monte Amiata Park is a wildlife park located in the municipality of Arcidosso in the province of Grosseto. The luxuriant beech woods, the rocks with unusual shapes, the fresh springs, the mines and a limited mountain agriculture make up the most common environments. It includes 6 nature reserves: Monte Labbro, Monte Penna, Pescinello, Poggio all’Olmo, Rocconi, SS. Trinità and also includes the summit of Monte Labbro with the Torre Giurisdavidica. It is divided into wildlife areas inhabited by animals, each with its own role in the balance of the ecosystem. The park is the ideal environment for observing numerous species of wildlife: it is a species of wild park where typical animals such as fallow deer, mouflon, donkeys and Apennine wolves live. There are numerous species, some of which are at risk of extinction, such as the Lanner. Along the specially prepared paths, the rare Apennine wolves can be sighted.

Inside the park, the educational center and the Visitor Center of the Park and of the nature reserves of Mount Amiata have been set up. In the halls there are blow-ups, cartographies and mineral finds that provide information on the Monte Amiata ecosystem. In addition, a botanical garden, a butterfly garden and an astronomical observatory are under construction.

Area: Amiata
Municipality: Arcidosso (GR)
Type: natural park
Visitor center: Arcidosso (GR) – locality  Zancona
Phone: +39 0564 965220
Website: www.parcofaunistico.it
Orari:f rom Tuesday to Sunday 10.00am-1.00pm and 4.00pm-7.00pm; closed on Monday
Ticket: full price € 3,00, reduced € 2,00
Services: bookshop, guided tours

In addition to trekking, Monte Amiata is ideal for other outdoor sports: from horse and bicycle to hang-gliding and paragliding. They are the most suitable activities to discover the whole mountain, characterized by a splendid natural environment and large green spaces.

Mountain Bike – municipalities of Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Semproniano

Horse riding – municipalities of Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Santa Fiora

Hang-gliding and Paragliding – Stribugliano locality – Arcidosso municipality

In addition to trekking, Monte Amiata is ideal for other outdoor sports: from horse and bicycle to hang-gliding and paragliding. They are the most suitable activities to discover the whole mountain, characterized by a splendid natural environment and large green spaces.

Mountain Bike – municipalities of Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Semproniano

Horse riding – municipalities of Abbadia San Salvatore, Piancastagnaio, Santa Fiora

Hang-gliding and Paragliding – Stribugliano locality – Arcidosso municipality

[table colwidth=”20|100|50″ colalign=”left|left”]

TYPE; Nature trail
ArREA; Amiata
DEPARTURE; Monticello Amiata (municipality of Cinigiano)
ARRIVAL; Monticello Amiata
LENGHT; 2 km
ROUTE TIME; 2 hours
DIFFICULTY’; average
ATTRACTIONS; chestnut
INFORMATIONS; via Amiata 16, Cinigiano, phone. +39 0564 992777

[/table]

It is a nature trail that begins in the lower part of the town of Cinigiano, in the Monticello Amiata area. After having crossed some fields, the itinerary goes into the woods, where it soon reaches a vast area of chestnut trees. The itinerary is also accompanied by some testimonies of human activity, such as dryers, huts and dry stone walls.

[table colwidth=”20|100|50″ colalign=”left|left”]

TIPO; Percorso tra storia e natura
ZONA; Amiata
PARTENZA; Siena
ARRIVO; Siena
LUNGHEZZA; 220 km
TEMPO DI PERCORRENZA; 2 o 3 giorni
DIFFICOLTA’; strade provinciali percorribili in automobile
PERCORSO; Siena, Civitella Paganico, Cinigiano, Castel del Piano, Arcidosso, Santa Fiora, Piancastagnaio, Abbadia San Salvatore,  Seggiano, Castiglione d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni, San Quirico d’Orcia, Buonconvento, Siena

TAPPE e ATTRAZIONI;

da Siena a Civitella Paganico (SS.223) 43,8 km; Badia Ardenghesca, Cassero Senese, Terme di Petriolo,  Riserva Naturale del Basso Merse

da Civitella Paganico a Cinigiano 24,5 km; Castello di Colli Massari, Castello di Vicarello, Castello del Torto, Castello di Porrona, Tenuta Monte Cucco

da Cinigiano a Castel del Piano 24 km; Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie, Museo Civico del Palazzo Nerucci, Museo della Vite e del Vino di Monteregio d’Orcia, Monte Amiata, Strada del Vino di Montecucco

da Castel del Piano ad Arcidosso 3 km; Rocca aldobrancesca, Santuario della Madonna delle Grazie, Tempio Gompa di Merigar West, Torre Giurisdavidica,  Parco Faunistico del Monte Amiata

da Arcidosso a Santa Fiora 7 km; Pieve delle Santa Flora e Lucilla, Convento della Santissima Trinità, La Peschiera, Museo delle Miniere di Mercurio del Monte Amiata, Parco-Museo delle Acque, Alta Valle del Fiora

da Santa Fiora a Piancastagnaio 12,5km; Rocca di Piancastagnaio, Santuario della Madonna di San Pietro, Miniera di Siele

da Piancastagnaio ad Abbadia San Salvatore 5,3 km; Abbazia di San Salvatore, Museo dell’Abbazia di San Salvatore, Museo della Miniera di Cinabro

da Abbadia di San Salvatore a  Seggiano  21,5 km; Castello di Potentino, Santuario della Madonna della Carità, Giardino d’Arte Daniel Spoerri

da Seggiano a Castiglione d’Orcia 14,6 km; Collegiata dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta

da Castiglione d’Orcia a Bagno Vignoni 5,5 km; Piazza delle Sorgenti, Terme di Santa Caterina, Parco dei Mulini

Bagno Vignoni a San Quirico d’Orcia 8,8 km; Rocca di Tintinnano, Parco Artistico, Naturale Culturale della Val d’Orcia, terme di Bagni San Filippo

da San Quirico d’Orcia a Buonconvento 18 km; Castello di Bibbiano, Museo della Mezzadria Senese

da Buonconvento a Siena 29,3 km; Fortezza Medicea, Duomo di Siena, Battistero di San Giovanni, Basilica di Santa Maria dei Servi, Chiesa di San Domenico, Ospedale di Santa Maria della Scala,  Fonte Gaia, Piazza del Campo, Torre del Mangia,  Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Museo Archeologico di Siena, Museo Civico, Museo Diocesano, Casa-santuario di Santa Caterina, Pinacoteca Nazionale

INFORMAZIONI; Ufficio Turismo, Siena, Tel. +39 0577 280551, Email: siena@terresiena.it

[/table]

ASSOCIAZIONE PER LA VALORIZZAZIONE DELLA CASTAGNA DEL MONTE AMIATA IGP

Indirizzo: località Colonia – Arcidosso (GR)
Tel.: +39 0564 965258
Email: associazioni@cm-amiata.gr.it / info@castagna-amiata.it
Sito: www.castagna-amiata.it

Tutta la zona dell’Amiata è rinomata per la produzione di castagne. Tra le specialità tipiche a base del “frutto del bosco” va ricordato il “pandolce di castagne“.

Consorzio di Tutela dell’Olio di Seggiano DOP

Indirizzo: Località Colonia, 19 – 58031 Arcidosso (GR)
Tel.: +39 0564 965259
Email: info@consorzioolioseggiano.it
Sito: www.consorzioolioseggiano.it

I primi documenti storici in cui si menziona la coltivazione dell’olivo risalgono al IX° secolo. Nel territorio è infatti diffusa la coltivazione di una specie di olivo resistente al clima freddo di montagna: è l’olivastra seggianese, probabilmente di origine dalmata. Le caratteristiche chimiche e organolettiche che rendono peculiare l’olio di Seggiano sono fortemente influenzate dal connubio coltivazione-territorio, relativo ai comuni di Arcidosso, Castell’Azzara, Castel del Piano, Cinigiano, Roccalbegna, Santa Fiora, Seggiano, Semproniano. Il colore è verde-dorato, l’odore fresco, il sapore dolce con leggere sfumature di piccante e amaro.

In varie località viene allevata la cinta senese, una varietà di maiali da cui si ricavano carni e prosciutti di qualità. Molte sono le sagre e le manifestazioni enogastronomiche che in tutto l’arco dell’anno e su tutto il territorio sono dedicate a questa produzione. Altri prodotti tipici sono il tartufo bianco e i funghi. Oltre ai porcini, si raccolgono il giallarello, il verdone, i cucchi, i pinaroli, le famigliole e le paciole. L’utilizzo di molte specie diverse di funghi caratterizza la saporita zuppa di funghi amiatina.